Epidemiology and Prognostic Factors for Viral Hepatitis C in Western Algeria

Biological & Medical Sciences

Background: Viral hepatitis C is a major public health problem worldwide. Their magnitude stems from their frequency and their short- and long-term health impact due to their evolutionary potential and therefore their complications. The objective of our work is to establish the epidemiological profile of viral hepatitis C in western Algeria and to identify the main prognostic factors associated with the progression of liver fibrosis. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in Western Algeria. Information on patients with viral hepatitis C (VHC) was collected prospectively from January 2013 to December 2016. Cox's model was used to model the instant risk logarithm based on a set of predictors predicting the progression of fibrosis over time. The student’s t-test and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for the comparison of continuous variables Results: A population of 594 patients was collected. The sex ratio was 0.65. Metabolic syndrome was found in 16.5%. Severe fibrosis (F3-F4) accounts for 30.3% of VHB cases. 82.1% of patients are divided into G1 and G2 with almost equivalent frequencies of 41.9% and 40.2% respectively. The discovery of viral infection was systematic in 42.6% of cases. The patterns of contamination reported in our study population are represented mainly by care (60.6%) and the use of traditional practices (14.8%) such as hijama, scarification and tattooing. Cirrhosis is found in 30.3% of VHC cases with an average age of 56.3 years. 28.3% of cirrhotics are diabetic. According to Cox's modelling, Hepatocellular Carcinoma and diabetes are prognostic factors of mortality in viral hepatitis C. Conclusion: The most documented mode of contamination in our population, after that related to care, is the use of traditional practices; which could direct us to a population that should not be overlooked in terms of screening and awareness. The predictive factors for cirrhosis were inflammatory activity (A2-A3), age >40 years, diabetes mellitus and use of traditional practices

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